Ice making apparatus



April 1956 R. M. SASNETT ETAL 2,741,104

ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed NQV. 12, 1952 [6 Fig.4.

Inventors: Russell M. Sasnett,

z w h m m m o s W E. A m r h i m m A T United States Patent ICE MAKING APPARATUS Russell M. Sasnett, Jetfersonville, Ind., and Archie E. Smith, Middletown, Ky., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 12, 1952, Serial No. 319,912

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-108.5)

This invention relates to apparatus for making blocks of ice and has as its principal object the provision of improved apparatus of this character whereby the ice blocks may be quickly and easily removed from the molds in which they are frozen.

Another object of the invention is to provide ice making apparatus in which the expansion of the ice during the freezing process is utilized to free the ice block from its container or mold.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for making ice blocks in which only one plane surface of each ice block adheres to the structure of the apparatus upon completion of the freezing process.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize our ina vention will be pointed out with particularly in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of our invention, we provide a container or mold having inclined side walls for each ice block and a horizontal flexible metal surface supported in heat transfer relation directly under a refrigerated member such as the evaporator of a household refrigerator. In making ice with our apparatus, the mold is completely filled with water and supported under the flexible metal surface so that the top edges of the mold and the top surface of the water are in contact therewith. Upon completion of the freezing process, the expansion of the last portion of the water to freeze frees the mold, leaving the ice block adhering to the flexible metal surface from which it may be easily released.

For a better understanding of our invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of a preferred form of our invention at the beginning of an ice making cycle.

Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, but shows the parts as they appear upon completion of the freezing process.

Figure 3 is similar to Figure l, but shows the manner in which the ice block is separated from the apparatus. a

Figure 4 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of a modified form of my invention and shows the parts at the beginning of a freezing cycle.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4, but shows the parts as they appear upon completion of the freezing process.

Figure 6 is similar to Figure 4, but shows the manner in which the ice block is separted from the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly, Figures l to 3 inclusive, the numeral 1 designates a horizontal refrigerated surface such as a wall of an evaporator of the type commonly found in household refrigerators. Surface 1 may be cooled by any suitable means (not shown) such as a compressor-condenser-expander system, well known in the refrigeration art. Preferably, the structure shown in the drawing is enclosed in an insulated cabinet cooled by means associated with refrigerated surface 1 or by surface 1 itself.

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A thermally conductive metal member 2, which may be in the form of a disk, is soldered or brazed in intimate thermal contact with the underside of refrigerated surface 1. On the underside of member 2, a flexible metal sheet 3 is secured in a similar manner, the edges of the sheet projecting beyond the edges of the member 2 as shown in Figure 1. Thus, the surface of the sheet 3 is maintained at substantially the same temperature as the temperature of refrigerated surface 1. A cam member 4, having an operating handle 5, is mounted adjacent the upper side of one edge of the sheet 3 by means of a bracket 6 and is adapted to flex sheet 3 upon rotation of cam 4, for a purpose to be described below.

A mold or container 7 for the water which is to be frozen into a block of ice cooperates with the flexible sheet 3 to form a freezing chamber for the water 8. It will be noted that the side walls 9 of the mold 7 are outwardly inclined, the base of the container 7 being somewhat smaller than the mouth.

To make an ice block using the preferred form of our invention, the mold 7 is completely filled with water and placed in contact with the flexible metal sheet 3 as shown in Figure 1. The top surface of the water quickly freezes to form a layer of ice joining the upper edges of the mold 7 to the flexible sheet so that the mold and its contents are suspended in the position shown. Freezing of the water progresses downwardly, and the resulting expansion of the ice gradually forces mold 7 downwardly away from sheet 3. Vfhile the side walls 9 of mold 7 continue to adhere to the ice during this movement, the bulge 11 on ice block 16 resulting from expansion of the last portion of water to freeze frees the mold 7 and perrnits it to drop by gravity leaving ice block in adhering to flexible sheet 3. It is, of course, necessary to provide inclined walls 9 on mold 7 so as to direct the expansive forces downwardly to free it from the ice block. Finally, ice block 10 may be removed from the apparatus by rotating cam member 4 so as to flex sheet 3 and thus break the adhesive contact between the top of ice block 10 and flexible sheet 3.

Referring to the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, a fluid chamber 12, which may be in the form of a disk and which includes a flexible diaphragm 13 as its bottom wall, is fixedly secured in thermal contact with refrigerated surface 1. A flexible bulb 14 is connected to chamber 12 by tube 15 to provide means for flexing diaphragm 13 into the position shown in Figure 6. Chamber 12, bulb 14 and tube 15 form a fluid-tight system and are filled with a fluid 16 having a freezing point considerably lower than that of water, for example, l0 F. Various fluids, such as so-called anti-freeze liquids well known in the art, may be used. Mold or container 17 is similar to container 7 shown in Figure 1 except that container 17 includes a small slot 13 to accommodate tube 15 when mounted in the position shown in Figure 4.

In making ice blocks with the embodiment of our invention shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, the procedure is essentially the same as the procedure previously described in connection with the embodiment shown in Fignres l to 3 inclusive. Mold 17 is filled with water to a level even with the lower edge of slot 18 and supported in the position shown in Figure 4 until a layer of ice forms on the surface of the water. The adhesion of this ice to diaphragm 13 and the side walls of mold 17 supports it in position until the freezing process is completed at which time mold 17 is forced away from ice block it by bulge 11, as previously explained. Finally, ice block 16 may be removed from the apparatus by depressing flexible bulb 14 so as to cause diaphragm 13 to bulge outwardly as shown in Figure 6. This flexing of diaphragm 33 is suficient to break the adhesive contact between ice block 1 Wb'le we have shown and described two specific ements of our invention, we do not desire our ino be limited to the particular construction shown nd described and We intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications Within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pa ent of the United State-sis:

t 1. in a refrigerating machine for, making blocks of ice, the combination of an evaporator, a flexible metal sheet, thermally conductive support means secured to said evaporator and to said sheet so as to support said sheet in a generally horizontal position,-a cup-shaped mold for containing Water to be frozen, said mold having out-' wardly inclined side walls adapted to cooperate with said sheet to completely enclose said water when placed contact with said sheet, said mold being forced from said sheet by expansion of said water upon freezing whereby relation therewith, a flexible metal sheet fixedly secured in heat transfer relation with said member and parallel to said surface, the edges of said sheet extending laterally beyond the edges of said member, a cup-shaped mold for containing water to be frozen, said moldhaving outwardly inclined side Walls and beingadapted to cooperate with said sheet to completely enclose said water when placed in upright position in contact with the lower side of said sheet, said mold being forcedfrom said sheet by expansion of said Water upon freezing whereby said mold is freed from an ice block formed by freezingof said Water and said ice block adheres to said sheet, and a cam member mounted on said surface and adapted to be moved into engagement with said sheet so as to flex the sheet for releasing said ice block therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 

